Merry Christmas to all my lovely readers, reviewers, followers, and to everyone who's added this story to their favorites. I'm hoping to get another chapter or two of ISLY out before Friday, but no promises. I hope you enjoy your reading experience for this chapter.

Chapter II

Al heard the rumor spreading around Dublith several days after Prince Edward's coming-of-age: there was a knight in town, and it wasn't Mustang either. Some knight named Armstrong had ridden into town and was demanding someone to look after his horse.

Al supposed it wasn't the smartest thing to do if he really was a prince in hiding from an impostor on his father's throne, but he really wanted to go check it out. Because if Prince Edward really was his brother, Al wanted to know if this new knight was loyal to him at least.

A couple other young men who could be spared made their way to the inn where Armstrong was staying. There, they met an intimidating-looking muscular bulk of a man, who was clad in the mail of a knight and carrying a shield of pink stars.

The knight, Armstrong, towered over each young man and asked why he should hire them for the duration of his stay. Most cowered slightly, and Al had to remind himself that he was doing this for his brother.

"When I was a baby, the Drachmans attacked my home," Al said, the start of a familiar lie. "My family was killed, and I barely survived. When you knights arrived to the survivors' aid, Sir Mustang found me and took pity on me. He brought me here and gave me to a childless couple, where he knew I'd have a good home. I was hoping you could convey my gratitude for him."

Al smiled. "Thanks to you knights and the royal family, I've been safe here in my new home. It would be an honor to look after your horse while you're here. It would be an honor to serve those who protect Amestris, who are loyal to King Van and Prince Edward."

Al looked up at the blond knight, who'd gotten a bit teary-eyed during his speech.

"Boy, what's your name?"

"I'm known as Al Curtis."

Armstrong brought a hand to rest between Al's shoulders, sniffing. "Al Curtis, how noble for Mustang to rescue you! How good your heart to express such gratitude!"

Al blushed. "Uh, thank you?"

"Can you handle a horse?" Armstrong offered Al the reigns. "I'll pay you well to look after her during my stay."

Al took the reigns and bowed to the knight, showing the respect due to a knight of Amestris from a commoner. He was raised a commoner, and he would remain a commoner still. "I'll do my best, Sir Armstrong."

Al couldn't find where Armstrong's loyalties lay, but he gave the knight's animal the best care he could for the next day and a half, while Armstrong looked for an outlaw suspected to be hiding in town. Al even figured out how to saddle the horse up when it was time for Armstrong to leave, the knight having found no outlaw in the town.

Al walked Armstrong's horse to the front of the inn and met the knight there. Armstrong took the reigns, but he did not mount his horse. The knight gazed down at Al with blue eyes. "Prince Edward is looking for a new servant. I believe he would be very pleased to have one like you, Al Curtis. Will you come to Central Castle?"

Al's breath caught in his throat as he looked up at Armstrong, wide-eyed. It slipped his mind that he'd never found out where the knight's loyalties lie when he was asked to go to Central Castle. "Me?" Even if he wasn't really Prince Alphonse, then becoming one of the royal servants was still a great opportunity for him. Imagine, him, living in a castle!

And if he was Prince Alphonse, then he'd finally get to meet his brother at least.

Armstrong nodded and responded to Al's disbelief at the chance he'd been offered. "You've proven yourself worthy."

"I-" Al paused for just a moment. A warning ran through his mind: Amestris was still unsafe, and his brother wanted him to remain in hiding. He took a breath. If he went to Central Castle as a servant, he would still be in hiding, right? He'd just be able to meet his brother, and maybe be able to help out if he could. "I'd be honored."

The knight beamed so brightly that he seemed to sparkle. "Excellent. You have some time to gather some things and say your goodbyes – we leave at noon."

Al didn't gather many things for himself: just his spare clothing and his wooden charm. Even if his wish was coming true, maybe it would come in handy.

Before he left, Al wrapped his arms around the Curtises and told them of his good fortune. Even if he'd found his birth family, the Curtises would always be his family too.

Between the knights, nearly a dozen candidates had been brought to Central Castle. They were all standing in a row and being checked by the knights for concealed weapons.

Ed watched this from his chambers in one of Central Castle's many towers. Mustang stood behind him.

"Ed, we should head out there."

"Yeah," the prince agreed, but he remained at the window. "Do you think they'll all check out?"

"If not, Armstrong will take care of them by the time we get down there." The knight put a hand on one of the prince's shoulders and led him away from the window, hand dropping back by his side by the time the two left the room.

Mustang gave Ed interviewing tips all the way to the grounds, and the prince listened for once, perhaps more shaken up by Shou Tucker than he'd care to admit. The prince's eyes scanned the ten potential servants as he and Mustang approached. "They're all young..."

"It would seem like our knights were looking for able-bodied men who'd be willing to leave their families behind – they remember how much Nina upset you. It's the young ones who aren't married yet that could come out."

Ed ran his eyes up and down the row of candidates again, as though looking for something in them. He almost missed Mustang's startled words behind him: "What's he doing here?"

Ed glanced back to his most trusted knight. "Someone you recognize?"

Mustang nodded and lowered his voice to a whisper. "Your brother is here. That young man standing between those two redheads."

The prince focused on his brother. "That's Al?"

"He shouldn't be here. He's inherited your father's golden eyes – and those are just too recognizable. I told him it's dangerous. You've got to send him home."

Ed nodded, not taking his eyes off his brother. This was the kind, thoughtful Al he'd gotten to know through Mustang's stories, the little brother he'd always wanted to meet. But Mustang was right that Al wasn't safe here.

The crown prince forced his eyes off Al. Stepping in front of the row, he looked slowly up and down, as though in thought. Finally, he fixed his eyes on his younger brother again and gestured for Al to follow him as he walked across the snowy grounds.

Once there was enough distance between them and the other candidates waiting with Mustang and Armstrong, Ed glanced around at all the shadows. Nothing seemed out of place.

"Mustang asked a very good question on our way here," he said. "What are you doing here, Alphonse?"

Al shuffled his feet in the compact white stuff that had once been a beautiful coat of snow. "I know I'm supposed to be in hiding, but I had to come."

Ed scowled and shot him a look.

As the silence started to drag on, Al explained himself with a slight stutter. "I've wanted to meet my birth family all my life, and now that I know who you are, I'm worried. Sir Mustang told me about the impostor..."

The older prince pinched his nose and released it slowly. "Alphonse, if you stay here, you'll be killed. Besides, don't you have a family in Dublith?"

"They know I'm here." Al spoke quietly and examined the remains of some snow angel beneath his feet.

"And I'm sure they'll be happy to see you come home. You can't stay here – Father and his advisers will recognize you right away. It's in your eyes."

Then, at last, Al peeked up with watery golden orbs, looking back down rather quickly. "I've got family here too, don't I?" Inhaling deeply, as though mustering up his guts, Al slowly lifted his eyes to remain at his brother's eye-level. "And they're in trouble. I thought if I came as a servant, I'd remain in hiding and be able to help out."

For the first time, Ed realized what a powerful effect his younger brother could have on him. They'd never met, but he still loved Al. Why did he have to know that his brother's only wish was to meet him and their real father?

The older prince looked away when he realized what his brother was doing to his resolve. "Well, I guess we could do something to disguise your eyes, but I'm not sure we could protect you inside this castle."

The next thing out of the younger brother's mouth was a single word: please. It was all Ed could do to keep from looking back at Al, even before his younger brother continued speaking. "If anything happened to you," Al said, "I'd have to try to get the kingdom back, right? You couldn't protect me then. We might as well face Father together."

Ed shook his head. "Nothing will happen to me, Al." It was a promise. "I'll vanquish Father and his followers, and then I'll send for you to come home."

He turned to smile at his younger brother, and when he did, he saw the change in Al's body language: no longer was he acting as shy and nervous. The signs were still there – trembling hands, shaky breaths – but Al's gaze was not pointing downwards, instead remaining fixed on his older brother. His heels were dug firmly into the earth, feet shoulder-width apart, and he was standing up perfectly straight. It was as though he'd gotten up the courage to stand up to the brother he'd known as the prince his whole life. Ed could swear he recognized the same emotion in his brother's eyes that he often had himself: determination.

He blinked and looked away. "You were born to be so much more than a servant, Alphonse..."

"I guess I wasn't born to be a commoner either." Al's voice grew softer. "I'll become a servant if it will help repair this broken family. If you'll let me, I mean."

Ed turned to look back toward where Mustang and Armstrong were talking to the nine other young men who'd come, hoping to become a servant that day. Any one of them could take the spot Al was trying for, and Al could be sent back to Dublith, safe. But...

"If I sent you back to the Curtises, what would you do?"

Al's voice broke. "I- I don't know. I'd keep training, I guess, even if Sir Mustang can't come around to help me anymore. And I'd pray for you, not that I wouldn't do that here. But if I went home, I think I'd just worry about you until I had to come see for myself that you're still alive."

When Ed turned around, Al's confident stance had faded, but Al had already convinced him. He put a hand under his brother's chin and lifted his head to meet his eyes. "Close your eyes for a moment."

"Brother...?"

"If you're going to stay here, I'm going to have to change your eyes for a while. I need you to close them."

Al's eyes lit up. "Really? You mean it?"

"Just close your eyes."

Al did. Ed gently put his pointer and index fingers over each of his brother's eyes and relaxed his body, closing his own eyes. He pictured Al's face with one slight alteration to his eye color. "Brown."

Ed pulled his hands back to himself. "You can open your eyes now."

His younger brother opened his eyes, revealing a rather bright hue of yellowish brown. The disguise was not as strong as Ed had intended, but it would work.

Casually, Ed turned back toward the knights and the young men who wanted to be servants. "Come on." The older prince avoided looking at Mustang as he said, "Tell them the spot is full."

Al followed Ed around on a tour of the castle, staying at least a full step behind him. His brother frowned, but didn't say anything. Frankly, Al was amazed that he was being allowed to stay at the castle at all, given everything he knew about what was going on.

But as the crown prince had started to show him the frozen fields surrounded by the castle walls, where a handful of knights were training against each other with swords, Al thought about how he'd never been in a place that made him feel so small. Could he handle staying here?

Al sneaked a peek at the back of his brother's blond hair, neatly braided down his back. His brother's eyes, he knew, were the same golden color as his own. That same impossible golden color. It was proof that they really were related, and Al had made up his mind that he would do anything for his family. The still-new weight of the wooden charm around his neck would remind him of how much he'd wanted this the first few days whenever he was alone.

As he spotted Armstrong's horse among the ones in the stables, he swore to himself that he'd stick by his brother, no matter what it took. He found it a little easier after that to take in the sheer size of the castle, which operated as its own city, even needing its own well or two. He even relaxed enough to smile when his brother leaned against a tree trunk with one hand and pointed toward the top, sporting a goofy grin on his face and saying that, in the summer, its thick branches were the best spot in the castle to hide from evil, annoying, immortal invaders.

Al's brother showed him the castle's paved courtyard, the kitchens, and the servants' quarters, helping Al to relax a bit whenever he caught him with his family-specific golden eyes and his bright, welcoming grin.

They saw many nice things on their tour of the castle – a real floor, colorful tapestries covering the draftier spots of the castle, and even some lavatories. They were on their way to see the princely quarters when Al caught sight of a couple knights accompanying a figure in a violet robe. "Bro... Prince Edward," Al said softly, looking at the scene. "Is that Father?"

The prince's head turned. "It is," he replied, expressionless. "Try not to attract his attention."

As Al bowed to show the current king the respect he expected, he heard a smooth voice say, "Edward, I see you've gotten a new servant."

"This is Al Curtis of Dublith. Al, this is King Van of Amestris."

Al greeted the king quietly and respectfully. "Good afternoon, Your Majesty."

Father's eyes drifted to Al, but it was to Prince Edward that he directed his question. "You haven't given him magic, have you?"

Al's brow creased. What did Father mean by giving him magic? He didn't understand the way things worked around this huge castle yet.

Ed shook his head in response to the question. "Of course not."

The fake king frowned at Edward, as though he didn't quite buy the answer.

"Relax," said Ed. "I'm not going to give magic to just anyone. I don't want a repeat of Shou Tucker."

Father took his gaze off the older prince. "Regardless, he has arrived at a most convenient time. The dungeon masters have gotten a full confession from your former servant. He will be publicly executed tomorrow, when Mustang agreed to help. Perhaps it would be best for this boy to watch it, just in case."

Al had started to fiddle with a loose thread on his coat, but he'd stopped when Father abruptly turned toward him for that last sentence. He froze. His lips parted, as if he would answer the king, but even if he'd really intended to speak, his mouth was dry.

He inwardly thanked his brother when Ed spoke up. "I don't think so. I expect Al to be rather busy, seeing how I've been without a servant lately. There are some things he needs to catch up on."

Al managed to close his mouth, but even looking down at the loose thread in his fingers, he couldn't quite manage to let go of that without a bit of fumbling.

"You wanted a servant who would behave," Father said. "Giving him an example of what happens to servants who don't behave will certainly help him act how you want him to." Father stared Ed down for a moment before the prince crossed his arms and nodded.

Father turned the direction he'd been heading. "I can't talk longer – I have an important meeting with my advisers. I suggest you make it clear how you feel about certain things." He waved a back-handed goodbye as he and his guards walked off down the corridor.

Ed shivered. "I hate that creep," he grumbled. "And I hate his advisers too. Mustang says they're not even human, him and his seven advisers." Ed was glancing around the corridor as if to check if Father or any of his cronies were still within earshot.

"And they're the ones you need to defeat?" Al looked at his brother, who had his arms crossed and a foul expression on his face.

"They're the ones I didn't want you near." Ed spoke in a low voice, glancing around the shadows as though looking for something. He seemed as vulnerable as a regular person at that moment, not the infallible prince Al had heard stories about in Dublith Royal, despite the sorcery Ed had done earlier in disguising Al's eyes.

"I want to help," Al said. "I just hope we can handle everything. But maybe... you study sorcery, right?"

"Yeah. Dad's a sorcerer, and I've inherited his magic. Born sorcerers like Dad and I, and Father too," here, Ed made a face, "we can give it to others as we see fit too. Currently, the royal family and the Amestrian knights have the authority to use magic. Among other things, we study it to be able to defend our lives and our country, and we shouldn't have to worry about burning for it." Ed's lips turned downward. "Have you ever seen anyone burn, Al?"

"No."

"It's horrible. I wouldn't wish that death on anyone, even with how Tucker used magic. And that's what Father wants to make you watch tomorrow."

They said nothing more until they arrived at a wooden door, which Ed opened. "Right then. These are my quarters."